The Smell of Home
by el dinosaurio
Summary: When Rin was little, her best friend told her if she folded one thousand paper cranes she'd get one wish, she hopes that it's true. Noncest. T for safety. ON HIATUS
1. Prologue

**Somethings belong to me. Vocaloid is not one of them.**

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><p>RIN'S POV<p>

I was told when I was little if you were to fold one thousand paper cranes, you would receive one wish. Being a child, I thought this feat was one only achieved in dreams, one that was impossible. Seeing as I couldn't even fold a crane right at the time, I thought it would take a lot of small miracles to fold one thousand of them.

_Fold here, now bring the point around here. There, that's right. _Paper cranes, so elegant, what people think of when they think 'origami'.

Fastening the crane onto a string, I hold it in front of me, rotating the string in my fingers, making the folded creature swing around this way and that.

Jumping into my lap, my cat half-heartedly batted at the crane. I smiled down at the cat that was dead set on getting the folded paper away from me.

I continued to twirl the crane. The cherry blossom pattern didn't seem to fit, too pink, too flowery, too unrealistic.

I hung the crane from a fake bonsai tree on my desk. Mom won't let me keep a real one, "Too much work" she says.

I take out another piece of origami paper. This one was brown. Yellow lines were randomly placed throughout the paper, white flowers also adorning it.

_Fold into a rectangle, unfold, make a perpendicular fold._

The folding process had become a second nature, I had done it some many times.

_Unfold again, turn paper over, fold into a triangle._

I faintly remembered trying to fold one as a child. My hands to reckless and unsure, the opposite of mine now.

_Unfold again, fold another diagonal, turn paper over._

Books had never helped me, the instructions were always confusing and most of the time you had to skip around in the book to find how to make certain folds.

_Bring corners together, align the square, bring the right corner of top flap to the middle._

There was a boy about my age I had known. He could fold the most beautiful cranes. I would watch as his childish hands expertly folded the paper, creasing it in all the right places.

_Repeat on the left, fold down top corner, unfold._

He gave the crane to me, then told me that if someone folded one thousand paper cranes, they would be granted one wish. I had said I didn't believe him because it was impossible, but he still believed.

_Take the bottom corner and fold along the horizontal crease, bring outer edges to the middle and flatten, repeat on other side. Fold the edges to the middle crease, repeat on the other side, turn the flap like a book page, do the same on the other side, take the bottom tips and fold to the top on either side, turn flap like a book again, repeat on other side, fold down the wings, fold the head, pull out head and tail. Complete._

And, eventually, I believed him too.

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><p><strong>AN: This is like a prologue, maybe?**


	2. Chapter 1

**Rin's POV**

They say your house has a certain smell to it. You can't smell it, but others can.

I wonder what the smell of my home is.

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><p>When I was young, my best friend was a boy. He was blond, blue-eyed, and a believer of things. His name was Len.<p>

Len moved away right before we started the second grade. Before that, it was like we were connected at the hip. We did everything together.

I remember the day when Len told me he was leaving, it was probably the saddest day of my life.

But in a twisted way, the happiest day too.

You see, I had _finally _folded a paper crane correctly. I was so happy, I ran to Len's house, which was a couple houses down from mine, to show him. Knocking on his door, I was riding a giddy high. When he opened the door, said the words 'We're moving,' I came crashing down from my high.

The day Len actually moved away, I started to believe in what he told me about the cranes. As I watched him drive down the street in his car, with him waving out the back window, I made a promise to myself, I would fold a thousand paper cranes and I would wish for Len back.

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><p>Whenever I fold another crane, I remember when Len first told me about it.<p>

_.:Flashback:._

_"Rinny!" a young blond of about five or six ran up to me, his blue eyes wide with unanswered questions._

_I looked at him "Hmm?"_

_He held out a crane to me, the one I had watched him fold only minutes earlier._

_After taking the crane, the excited young boy suddenly gushed "Did you know that if you fold one thousand paper cranes," he emphasized the word thousand "You get one wish?"_

_Laughing, I said, "Len, that's impossible! It can't possibly be true!"_

_Len shook his head, "Nuh-uh! It's possible, a girl named Sadako did it, and I'm going to do it!"_

_I stared with wide eyes at my young friend's statement, "What?"_

_"I'm gonna fold one thousand paper cranes so I can get a wish!" Len said with enthusiasm._

_.:Flashback end:._

He looked so determined, Len did, when he told me he was going to fold all those cranes. I remember this clearly, his eyebrows knit together, eyes ablaze with all the raw passion a small child could muster. After seeing that determination, I knew he was serious.

I wonder how many he's folded so far.

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><p>So far I've folded about two hundred fifty. Each one was strung on a string, all of them hanging from the ceiling of my room. I haven't got the time to hang the last one I folded on my ceiling, it's still hanging from my bonsai tree.<p>

My cat's still determined to de-crane the bonsai tree, he's found a way to get on my desk. I always check to see if the crane is still there when I enter my room.

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><p><strong>AN: That seemed like a ... place to stop. **


	3. Chapter 2

RIN'S POV

When people walk into my house they say it smells like oranges.

I'm so used to the fruit I don't know what it smells like anymore.

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><p>School is not an enjoyable place for me.<p>

It's filled with people I don't like, and people that don't like me.

They think I'm weird, I guess.

A twin-tailed girl always says I'm a freak.

I ask her why.

Puffing out her cheeks, she'll sort of whine 'Isn't it obvious? You're always folding your papers into dragons or dinosaurs or whateverrr!' drawing out the 'r'.

I'll shake my head 'Are you really _that _stupid not to know what an origami crane looks like?'

She'll kind of sputter then turn on her heel and walk away.

I'll look down at the paper in front of me, and I'll start folding crane number two hundred sixty, smiling a little.

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><p>If only I could make a deal with God and get him to swap our places...<p>

If God and I did make a deal and we did swap places, I would use all the forces I could to get Len back by my side. Even if it meant I had to move mountains.

But even if I did, Len would be on Earth and I wouldn't.

I don't know what would be worse. Not knowing, or knowing and not being able to be there.

I think the latter is worse.

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><p>My mother has always wondered about me.<p>

She says she's seen "changes" in me since Len left. She says that I'm more reserved and I can't go near bananas without getting misty-eyed. She also says that I was more heartbroken over my best friend's departure from life than my own father's.

I wrap my arms around my mother's waist and stand there for a second before I whisper 'I know...'.

She runs left hand over my hair, her old engagement ring accompanied by her wedding ring, both of which still rest on her ring finger.

I look up at her, 'Still not over Dad?'

Her blue eyes look glassy from tears yet unshed 'I am over him, I just can't take off the ring. I know he left us, and I sorta hate him for it, but I can't help but miss him.'

I hug her tighter, as if the slightest shift of air would blow her away, and she'd be gone forever, like my father 'I know.'

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><p>I wonder sometimes if my efforts worth it or is my crane folding all for naught? Did Len fold one thousand cranes or did he finally give up on the fantasies I have come to believe.<p>

Too bad I can't ask.

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><p>I took the crane off the bonsai today.<p>

Using my desk chair, which adds a good 'nother head to my height, I found a place to fit the folded bird and placed it there.

I'm relieved I don't have to worry about my cat destroying it anymore.

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><p>Sometimes, I start to think I'm a bad person for wanting to wish my friend back instead of my father.<p>

I sometimes kinda hate myself for it.

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><p><strong>AN: That seemed like a good-ish place to stop.**

**I used part of a song in there. It's "Running Up That Hill" by Placebo.**


	4. Chapter 3

Rin's POV

Realtors use the smell of cookies baking to sell houses.

That's not what a home _really _smells like.

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><p>I like to bake.<p>

Not many people know about my culinary interests, not that I care.

I made cookies from scratch the other day.

The thing I remember most about them wasn't the taste. As odd as it sounds, what I remember most was the way some sugar that spilled on the floor felt underneath my feet, a small roughness that followed me until I walked on the carpet.

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><p>Miku's been harassing me more than usual lately.<p>

I heard somewhere has been diagnosed with cancer.

It's really a shame; I like Ms. Hatsune. She really doesn't deserve cancer.

At school, Miku walked up to me, stopping at my desk with her hands on my hips, eyes like a snakes as she looked down at me.

She spits out the words like they were poison, 'I hear your dad left because of _you_'.

I stand up, making eye contact with Miku and tell her, 'I'm sorry about your mom', then walk away, leaving a dumbfounded Miku behind.

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><p>I came home that day and found Mom crying in the living room.<p>

My mother hasn't cried in awhile, so the sight disconcerts me, 'Mom, what's wrong?'

She tries to catch her breath before she answers, 'Ms. Hatsune called. She wanted me to know she's been diagnosed with cancer.'

I gasp.

Fresh tears spill from my mother's eyes, 'It's serious. Stage 4.'

Tears begin to cloud by sight, 'What's going to happen to Miku after Ms. Hatsune's passing?'

Mom takes a big breath, 'If that should happen, Miku's going to live here….'

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><p><strong>AN:** Short chapter because I had some major writer's block and that seemed like a good place to stop, no?


	5. Chapter 4

Home is where the heart is.

So our real home's in our chests?

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><p>Ms. Hatsune died yesterday; her obituary said she died comfortably surrounded by family.<p>

I have one memory of Ms. Hatsune that really sticks out in my mind.

_One day I was sitting at the dining room table, a small pile of completed cranes next to me. Ms. Hatsune walked in and she looked at me and asked, 'Rin, why do have some many cranes?'_

_I looked up at her, saying, 'I'm going to fold 1,000 cranes so I can get Len back.'_

_Ms. Hatsune walked over and smiled, ruffling my hair, 'Good luck, Rin.'_

I don't know why, but I can't help but think about it.

Maybe it was her smile. A kind smile that made her eyes crinkle slightly, and you couldn't help but smile back at her.

Or maybe it was because she didn't tell me it was impossible, she didn't try to stop me from folding crane after crane. She even wished me luck.

It could be everything about it all together.

I believe she was over; she and Mom were good friends, because she and Mom had to discuss something important and I was to stay out of the way. I chose the dining room since it has a good location, close to the bathroom, my room, everywhere.

Mom and Ms. Hatsune were in the kitchen, and Ms. Hatsune had to go to the bathroom or something, and she had to go through the dining room to get there. She saw me and was nice enough to find out what I was doing instead of ignoring me as other adults might've.

She was nice, so very nice.

I think that's what I'm going to miss most about her.

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><p>Mom and I brought Miku over to the house today, and we showed her the room she would inhabit soon.<p>

Miku stood in the middle, looking around at the walls and the floors, up at the ceiling. 'It's nice,' she commented after a couple minutes.

Mom and I stood in the doorway. After a couple minutes, Mom asked, 'would you like to change the color? I know white walls are boring.'

Without turning, Miku says, 'If it's not too much trouble, I would like my walls to be teal.'

Mom nods, 'We can go to the paint store tomorrow, okay?'

Miku turns to my mom, nodding.

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><p>We have a color picked out for Miku's room.<p>

We have the cans and everything.

Mom says it's up to Miku and I to paint the room. So we can bond or something.

I roll the paint roller in the tray, 'The color should be nice after it dries.'

On the opposite side of the room, Miku just says, 'Uh huh.'

'Hey, Miku?' I roll the roller on the wall.

'Yeah?'

I continue painting, 'Are we going to…' not knowing how to finish.

'… Tell people at school that I live with you?' Miku pauses to shrug or something, 'It doesn't really matter. Once it gets out my mom died and my dad was never there, I don't know what will happen.'

'Should we just keep it under our hats for awhile?' I offer.

I think I can hear a slight smile in Miku's voice, 'Yeah, that sounds best.'

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><p>Miku and I have been getting along better since she moved in.<p>

We ended up finding out we had a lot in common while we were painting her room.

Sure, she has a weird thing about leeks that could only be called obsession, but I'm that way about oranges.

I think my mom's glad that we aren't at each other's throats like she originally thought we would be.

Honestly, I'm quite glad for that, too.

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><p>I sat down at my desk today and took out a piece of square paper, one side was teal, and the other side was white.<p>

I looked at the paper for a while before folding it into a crane, probably the best one that I've folded so far.

I set the crane down on my desk, reaching for a pen in the pencil holder.

Uncapping the pen, I flipped the paper creature over and pinned its wing down.

In the neatest handwriting I could muster, I wrote, 'I miss you Ms. Hatsune'.

I couldn't help but smile at the cliché I wrote. Then, I hung the crane from the middle of the ceiling; it's teal body standing out among the other cranes.

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><p><strong>AN:** Again, seemed like a good place to stop. I needed to take a break from Music Only She Can Hear. The beginning lines are from the song 'Everyone's a Hero' from Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog. It's a good movie, I recommend you see it.

I don't think this is my best chapter ever. Please, review with constructive criticism.


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